"I'm keeping the skipper's dinner 'ot in a small sorsepan, sir," said
the cook, thrusting his head out of the galley.

"All right," said the mate.

"It's a funny thing where the skipper gets to these times," said the
cook, addressing nobody in particular, but regarding the mate out of the
corner of his eye.

"Very rum," said the mate, who was affably inclined just then.

The cook came out of the galley, and, wiping his wet hands on his dirty
canvas trousers, drew near and gazed in a troubled fashion ashore.

"E's the best cap'n I ever sailed under," he said slowly. "Ain't it
struck you, sir, he's been worried like these 'ere last few trips? I
told 'im as 'e was goin' ashore as there was sea-pie for dinner, and
'e ses, 'All right, Joe' 'e ses, just as if I'd said boiled beef and
taters, or fine mornin', sir, or anythink like that!"

The mate shook his head, blew out a cloud of smoke and watched it lazily
as it disappeared.

"It strikes me as 'ow 'e'sarter fresh cargo or something," said a stout
old seaman who had joined the cook. "Look 'ow 'e's dressing nowadays!
Why, the cap'n of a steamer ain't smarter!"

"Not so smart, Sam," said the remaining seaman, who, encouraged by the
peaceful aspect of the mate had also drawn near. "I don't think it's
cargo he's after, though--cement pays all right."

"It _ain't_ cargo," said a small but confident voice.

"You clear out!" said old Sam. "A boy o' your age shovin' his spoke in
when 'is elders is talkin'! What next, I wonder!"

"Where am I to clear to? I'm my own end of the ship anyway," said the
youth vindictively.

The men started to move, but it was too late. The mate's latent sense of
discipline was roused and he jumped up in a fury.

"My ----!" he said, "if there ain't the whole blasted ship's company
aft--every man Jack of 'em! Come down in the cabin, gentlemen, come down
and have a drop of Hollands and a cigar apiece. All the riffraff o' the
foc'sle sitting aft and prattling about the skipper like a parcel o'
washerwomen. And smoking, by ---! _smoking!_ Well, when the skipper
comes aboard he'll have to get a fresh crew or a fresh mate. I'm sick
of it. Why, it might be a barge for all the discipline that's kept! The
boy's the only sailor among you."

He strode furiously up and down the deck; the cook disappeared into
the galley, and the two seamen began to bustle about forward. The small
expert who had raised the storm, by no means desirous of being caught